We are a grassroots group of New England-based feminists who share a sex-realist philosophy that is rooted in classic liberal principles and second-wave feminism. We have significant concerns about gender identity ideology and its impact on women and girls. Specifically:
- We believe that two human sexes exist and that there is nothing inherently oppressive about this fact. If sex categories seem oppressive, we believe this is due to patriarchy and its attendant misogyny and homophobia. The current ideology of “gender identity” is antithetical to a core insight of feminism that gender is an oppressive social construct, and sets back the women’s movement by positing that the definition of women can be disconnected from our bodies, our society, and our collective experiences. Thus, women’s basic right to define ourselves as an interest group is grievously impaired, and men are allowed to define themselves as women.
- We believe in respecting civil rights for all, while also recognizing that specific conflicts have arisen between the rights and interests of women and the rights and interests of those who place themselves in the rapidly expanding category of “trans.” In those areas where there are significant conflicts, we prioritize the rights of women. The belief in gender identity can be accommodated just as religious and other beliefs are accommodated in a free society, but cannot be imposed on others.
- We oppose replacing the term “sex” with the ill-defined term “gender identity,” as has recently been the trend in public policies, organizations, schools., etc. This undermines the hard-won rights of women to be free from sex-based discrimination, threatens the existence of women’s spaces when safety and privacy are important, and negatively impacts everyone’s freedom of speech and belief.
- We are deeply concerned about children making life-changing medical decisions to alter healthy bodies and undergo radical, experimental procedures in order to “match” a reported inner sense of gender. We are especially alarmed about the recent exponential increase in adolescent girls de-identifying as girls. We note that with any oppressed group other than women, this would likely spur dismay and not celebration.
- We believe that entrenched cultural misogyny, along with social media and the interests of corporate technology, are major factors underlying the level of institutional capture that has been achieved in a remarkably short time by gender identity ideology, even if many proponents are not consciously aware of these factors.
- While acknowledging adults’ right to self-determination and to be treated with respect, we encourage everyone to be truly gender-nonconforming — to recognize that liberation means the freedom to express a wide diversity of thought, interests, attitudes and styles among both women and men in their natural bodies.
- We believe in the right to openly discuss our gender-critical perspectives and to promote the sex-specific needs of women for safety, privacy and fairness in contexts where sex matters: including residential institutions, locker rooms, and sports. In too many workplaces, organizations and in large swaths of the mainstream media, women are being intimidated into not voicing gender-critical views.
- We believe that gender identity ideology harms lesbians by denying the reality of same-sex attraction.
We plan to pursue collective action and educational efforts to promote these beliefs and to offer a safe space for women who share these concerns.